1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the manufacture of alkyl glycolates. More particularly, this invention relates to a method wherein dimethoxymethane is reacted with formaldehyde in the presence of an organic peroxide under non-acidic conditions to provide alkyl glycolates such as methyl glycolate and ethyl glycolate. The alkyl glycolates are useful as raw materials for the manufacture of ethylene glycol.
2. Prior Art
Kollar U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,371 discloses a method for the preparation of ethylene glycol wherein methanol and formaldehyde are reacted in the presence of an organic peroxide and water to provide ethylene glycol. In a technical article Oyama discloses the free-radical reaction of primary and secondary alcohols such as methanol, 2-propanol, ethanol, 2-butanol and 3-methyl-2-butanol with formaldehyde, and t-butyl peroxide to provide glycols (J. Org. Chem., 30, 2429 (1965). Watanabe et al. in an article in Bull. Chem. Soc. Jpn., 56, 1428-1430 (1983), Vol. 56, No. 5 disclose the reaction of 1,3-dioxolane with electron-deficient alkenes such as diethyl maleate, maleic anhydride, etc. Russian Author's Certificate No. 975,704 (Imashev et al.) discloses a method wherein 1,3-dioxolane is oxidized with molecular oxygen at a temperature of about 10.degree. to 60.degree. C. to provide ethylene glycol monoformate as a principle reaction product.